Yay yay, he’s a disco singer

Bappida is all set to perform and record with the reunited Jackson Five in July. Ritujaay Ghosh tells more.

He made Samantha Fox dance to his tune a decade ago. Now, composer-singer Bappi Lahiri, one of the first to use disco tunes in mainstream Mumbai cinema, has joined hands with the Jackson Five for a song that will be recorded in India.

Lahiri is excited about the project, which was finalised recently. “The Jackson brothers are excited about the project and we have some major plans after recording this song,” says Lahiri. The Jackson Five intend to come to India in July to record the song.

“I was in Hollywood to release Rajashree Chowdhury’s album Kabita, which I had composed. She’s the wife of yoga exponent Bikram Chowdhury. The Jackson brothers were present at the party and approached me after hearing my compositions,” he says.

The English version of the song will be written by the Jackson brothers, while Lahiri will write and sing the Hindi version. “I haven’t spoken to a producer yet, but plan to use the song in a Hindi film,” he adds.

<b1>The Jackson Five have urged him to give the song a disco feel. Lahiri also wants to give it an R&B flavour, keeping in mind the band’s popularity in the 1980s.

“We have plans to work together after the song is recorded on a larger scale. Before that we’ll perform live in Mumbai in October. It will be a like a comeback tour for them,” he says.

In January, frontman Jermaine Jackson announced the reunion of the group that disbanded in 1990. Though the band is called Jackson Five, it has only four members now — Marlon, Jermaine, Tito and Jackie. Their most famous sibling Michael Jackson is of course no longer a part of the band.

Lahiri, who has given innumerable hits as a compose and a singer — the latest being the title track of Guru — is loaded with projects. He will sing for Amitabh Bachchan in Bhootnath besides composing three songs for Ram Gopal Varma Ke Sholay.

“Last year has been great for me. I am excited about singing for Amitabh Bachchan again,” says he.

Lahiri has also joined hands with old friend B Subhash for the film Jhoom, which will be directed by B Subhash’s daughter, Sweta, and is also scoring for Pehlaj Nihalani’s Khushboo.

In Jhoom, Lahiri has gone back to his style of mixing disco with Indian music...he has roped in Adnan Sami to sing for him